


The Comparison

by Pembrooke330



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Jeronica, Jughead x Veronica, Veronica Lodge - Freeform, hiram lodge - Freeform, jughead - Freeform, jughead jones - Freeform, veronica - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 01:57:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13694478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pembrooke330/pseuds/Pembrooke330
Summary: It didn’t help that he couldn’t get that kiss with Veronica out of his mind. It had been unexpectedly good. Really good. And he found himself thinking about it constantly, especially at night, when he would lay on his cot in his dad’s trailer and wonder what Veronica was wearing in her bed at night while in her glitzy apartment at the Pembrooke.He would run his hands through his hair, frustrated, and anxiously trying to get the way she had looked at him after they had pulled away from each other out of his mind.But he couldn’t. She had done something to him. She was in his system now. And he wondered if he was the only one who was thinking about where she might be at the moment. Why she wasn’t in the student lounge with the rest of them. He wanted to ask Betty, or Kevin, or Josie, but he was afraid that they would see right through him.





	The Comparison

“My dad said told me that he’d never seen that much cocaine in all his years on the force. He said you could make snow angels out of how much there was in the back of that truck.” Kevin was saying as he, Betty, Archie, Josie, Toni, Sweetpea, and Fangs sat around the student lounge at Riverdale High School.

He was showing them all the pictures his dad had taken of the drug bust. Highly unethical but they were all beyond entertained by Kevin’s story and accompanying photos.

Everyone but Jughead, who was busy clicking away on his laptop, adding a new chapter to his novel. It was about his recent breakup with Betty Cooper and he had to get it all down while it was still fresh in his mind.

She had been the one to call things off just a few days earlier, and all of her reasons had been valid, but Jughead found himself coping by throwing himself into his writing.

He wasn’t so much upset as he was pissed off. His ego had taken a huge hit, and he wasn’t dealing with it well. 

He knew he should have been more upset, or at least looked more upset, because he couldn’t help but notice the glances Betty would give him every now and then, almost as if she wondered why he didn’t seem more distraught by their breakup. They had been really in love, after all, but things between them just hadn’t been the same ever since they had taken that weekend trip to the cabin upstate.

The same weekend that he had kissed Veronica in an attempt to level the playing field after Archie and Betty’s confession that they had kissed each other a couple of weeks earlier.

It had hurt Jughead, not just because he had always felt like Betty’s consolation prize when it came to Archie Andrews, but because Betty had had so many chances to tell him, but she had chosen not to.

Trusting Betty Cooper had become murkier and murkier as their relationship went on, and he was beginning to find that all of the lies were beginning to wear down on him, and beginning to change how he felt about the pretty blonde.

It didn’t help that he couldn’t get that kiss with Veronica out of his mind. It had been unexpectedly good. Really good. And he found himself thinking about it constantly, especially at night, when he would lay on his cot in his dad’s trailer and wonder what Veronica was wearing in her bed at night while in her glitzy apartment at the Pembrooke.

He would run his hands through his hair, frustrated, and anxiously trying to get the way she had looked at him after they had pulled away from each other out of his mind.

But he couldn’t. She had done something to him. She was in his system now. And he wondered if he was the only one who was thinking about where she might be at the moment. Why she wasn’t in the student lounge with the rest of them. He wanted to ask Betty, or Kevin, or Josie, but he was afraid that they would see right through him.

“Well…if it isn’t Emily the Strange.” He heard Toni say cheerily as Veronica Lodge suddenly made her appearance. 

Like a knee jerk reaction, Jughead looked over at Betty.

And Betty looked as though she wanted to throw up. 

He knew Betty remembered the time that Toni had made the passing comment that she hadn’t expected him to be dating a girl like Betty but a girl like Emily the Strange instead. The popular, dark comic book and literary character that he often saw stickers of on skateboards.

“Emily the who?” Veronica asked, clearly puzzled as she took a seat in her usual plush chair across from Jughead.

He tried not to stare at her, but she was heartbreakingly beautiful in her black pleated skirt and silky purple blouse. And when she sipped her coffee, he couldn’t help but think about her lips on his, causing his pulse to race.

Jughead made himself look away, barely listening as Toni explained to Veronica who Emily was while he and Betty locked eyes. He gave her an apologetic look on Toni’s behalf, but Betty looked away and went back to reading her book. He wasn’t sure if Toni had made the comparison on purpose, but knowing Toni, she knew what she was doing. As his confidant, she had been well aware of Jughead’s forbidden interest in Princess Lodge.

“I don’t think I’m quite that goth-y…or sullen.” Veronica was saying as Toni showed her Google images of Emily the Strange on her cell phone.

“She’s cute though. So…yeah, I’ll take it as a compliment. Thank you, T.”

Toni chuckled as she looked over at Jughead, who was glaring at her.

“What?” Toni said with a devilish grin.

Jughead shook his head.

“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry! I forgot that I had initially imagined you dating an Emily the Strange type instead of your classic blonde cheerleader type. My bad.” She said, oozing sarcasm. 

Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on Jughead, except for Betty, who was throwing daggers with her eyes at Toni.

“Oh but who is really Jughead’s type? He’s never been that popular with the ladies.” Archie said, obviously trying to make a joke, but there was an edge to his voice.

Archie and Veronica hadn’t been doing so well lately either, and everyone had been well aware of their relationship woes.

Jughead decided to ignore the comment from his old friend.

“Can we talk about something else?” He asked, wishing desperately that they could go back to discussing the Scarface amounts of cocaine again.

“Yes! Let’s!” Veronica chirped as she put down her coffee cup and clapped her hands together.

But she was at a loss for words, as well.

She looked over at Jughead, her usual cool demeanor was no longer present. Veronica Lodge had been completely caught off guard. 

She seemed distressed and nervous, looking at him like she needed to say something, but she didn’t quite know how. 

And Jughead wondered if maybe he had been on her mind as much as she had been on his.

“Oh, um…yeah! Don’t forget that I’m performing at the annual mayor’s breakfast this weekend. You are all invited.” Josie chimed in, changing the subject expertly.

Jughead breathed a sigh of relief as everyone began to talk about the breakfast.

He knew it was just a matter of time before something had to give. There was definitely something on the cusp of happening between him and Veronica Lodge. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what it might be, but he knew he would need to find out, sooner than later.

The End.


End file.
